December 10, 2010 - A Posting from Jim Kane, as presented to the Manitoba Legislature

World AIDS Day 2010

Members of the Legislature, fellow colleagues Living with HIV, support workers, friends and family. Thank you for sharing this time of recognition with us.

For me, World AIDS Day is a time of remembrance of many peers who have passed on from this deadly disease. It is also a time to reflect on our successes and recognize the challenges that lie ahead.

I remember when I was diagnosed as HIV positive in the 1980’s --- then, this diagnosis was considered a death sentence. 

I remember my first personal experience with HIV discrimination, when my dentist here in Winnipeg refused to keep me as a patient. Discrimination hurts.

I remember visiting my friend ED, who was one of the first people diagnosed in Manitoba, at the hospital. We had to wear gowns and gloves then, and many times the serving staff, out of fear, left food trays in the hallway and we would take them in to our friend ED.

Rumours that this disease could be spread by mosquitoes created a panic here in Manitoba. I remember the reasoned voices of some of our peers in the community and political leaders, who asked Manitobans to “follow the science and not the fear”.

When many of my friends passed away, I remember the support of my family. The words of my mother, who is here today, always stood with me. She reminded me of her similar experience in her early adult years dealing with grief when loved ones were killed during the Second World War. That sharing of a loving parent consoled me during times of grief.

We have all felt loss, as infected or affected victims of this illness.

This illness has proven to be an “EQUAL OPPORTUNITY” infector. The virus has never discriminated, but people have.

After moving to Alberta in 1995 due to a career advancement, I became Board Chair of Living Positive in Edmonton. It became abundantly clear to me during that time that HIV is an illness that must be treated in a broader context. Many newly diagnosed clients were dealing with issues surrounding housing, mental illness, poverty, and addiction. These Social Determinants of Health impacted positive health outcomes in a dramatic fashion.

We have had many successes from a human rights perspective as a result of this tragic illness. As a result, there have been significant gains.

We have successfully been able to gain compassionate early access to potentially life-saving medications. Many of us have made the decision to deal with side effects and provide information to the scientific community in their battle with this disease.  

We have worked with corrections facilities to ensure that inmates had access to prevention tools. Some improvements have been made. 

Equality rights within the LGBT community have resulted in fairness and equality in pension and marriage laws.

We have worked to ensure that people in developing countries who are living with this disease have access to affordable life-saving medication.

The movement is also currently challenged by human rights issues surrounding the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure. It has had a significant impact on privacy, confidentiality and general disclosure issues with respect to HIV. Many of us are working with law enforcement and community groups to educate them about the consequences of criminalization of non-disclosure, and are also making calls for the implementation of prosecutorial guidelines in handling allegations of HIV non-disclosure. 

I was pleased to have moved back home to Winnipeg during Manitoba Homecoming 2010. It is a great province with a wonderful diversity of people!

I have personally become aware of the significant differences in provincial jurisdictions when it comes to accessing life-saving HIV medications. I am personally saddened that Manitoba is not a leader in this regard. Canada now has a patchwork variety of coverage. I agree with Roy Romanow, who stated that “a key consideration in addressing the performance of any health care system, including ours, is equity.”  Mr. Romanow further states that,“based on what we know about Canadians’ values, people’s access to necessary prescription drugs should not be determined by where they live.” I believe that we must work with various levels of government to ensure that these values reflect policy in the future.

Next year the Canadian AIDS Society will mark it’s 25^th anniversary as an organization at the forefront of the fight against HIV.

In general, we believe that the compromise of human rights is detrimental to us as a society. It’s a denial of the fundamental equality of all people. The bottom line is that it inhibits our ability to respond to HIV. It really is a matter of shining a light of awareness and understanding on HIV and AIDS. True understanding can only come when we open our hearts and recognize that every person is entitled to the same human rights and dignity.

Thank you for your time.

Together we can make a difference!

 Jim Kane, December 1, 2010